‘Reasons for Trustees Not Accepted by Society, We Receive Support from All Segments'

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Removed from office by the Ministry of Interior on August 19, dismissed Co-Mayor of Van Bedia Özgökçe-Ertan and dismissed Co-Mayor of Diyarbakır Selçuk Mızraklı have spoken to bianet.

Özgökçe-Ertan: No lawsuits filed while I was in office

Underlining that a perception operation is conducted, Özgökçe-Ertan has indicated that "no lawsuits were filed against her on terror charges while she was in office as mayor" and stated the following in brief:

"They did a perception management by benefiting from the political environment of the previous period and presenting the period of ditches/barricades to the public.

"No reactions were raised by any groups in that period, but the reasons for appointing trustees do not have any return from any segments of the society now. On the contrary, it has drawn reactions from all parts of society

'Former AKP Minister said, "We will be brought to brink of an abyss"'

"It is not only the base of Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) who is troubled with trustees, the base of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) is also troubled to a large extent. Not only people from its base, but also former AKP MPs, former ministers and even its founders called us.

"A former minister from the AKP expressed his/her sadness and said, 'The narrative of the AK Party when it was at its peak and its practices today are very different. This cannot be AK Party."

"Just as we do, s/he said that it is a political coup and the country will be brought to the brink of an abyss if we cannot find a common ground.

"Even former MHP MPs called us. Several people from the CHP, both current and former, called us as well. Even though we do not hold the same opinions, there are several people who say that it is a grave injustice. It is also the case for the politicians on the local level.

'I didn't even dismiss the irregularly employed personnel'

"[Minister of Interior] Süleyman Soylu says that I dismissed people. Though 194 people were employed in an irregular manner and even the Supreme Court of Accounts said, 'it is irregular employment, lay them off immediately', we did not dismiss them. How can I do it? They are our people.

"Moreover, I took over the municipality with a debt of 1.3 trillion. How could I finance anything? With which money? There were even deductions from the overall budget and from the share reserved from the Revenue. In other words, what Soylu said is an utter lie.

'Powers that do not want resolution have come into play'

"When the trustee was in office, vehicles were allocated to the District Governor, his wife, security guards and chiefs from the budget of the municipality. We only worked within this period of time. And the whole people of Van is a witness to it.

"In the last meeting with Mr. [imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah] Öcalan, he made a call for peace and resolution. Any government who cares about the welfare of Turkey's people would pay heed to this call.

"It is not a coincidence that trustees have been appointed just after the statement of Öcalan. It shows that the powers who do not want resolution have come into play and that they are powerful."

Mızraklı: People from CHP and SP called us

Speaking to bianet, dismissed Metropolitan Co-Mayor of Diyarbakır Selçuk Mızraklı has also underlined that they have received several calls of solidarity over the last three days:

"We received phone calls from the vice chairs and MPs of the Republican People's Party (CHP), Felicity Party (SP) and people from several non-governmental organizations. Even the ones who voted for the AKP in the last elections called us. We have to regard the ones who called us as a front of conscience and justice, as people with a culture and ethics of democracy, rather than as a political party.

'Objections should be raised against the deepening unlawfulness'

"No one owes anything to us, it is not how we look at it. Everyone should raise an objection against this deepening unlawfulness. A brief period of trustee was experienced in İstanbul after the March 31 elections. İstanbul also felt this unlawfulness, albeit for a short time.

"Of course, it cannot be compared with the situation here, we have been experiencing police violence on the streets for the last three days. This mindset appointing trustees has lost its legitimacy. It needs to be considered what this mentality seizing rights can do.

"There are very different calculations made here. The application of the Diyarbakır Governorship requesting my dismissal on April 1 is also an indication of that. It needs to be seen that the state of affairs is not good and the society should raise its voice as much as possible against these anti-democratic practices." (RT/SD)